agent
agent — noun
1. someone employed to handle business matters for another person or company — for
someone employed to handle business matters for another person or company — for example, booking a singer's tour, selling a house, or arranging insurance — usually in return for a fee or commission.
Farouk called her travel agent to change the date of her flight to Tokyo.
common collocation: travel agent
The Patel family hired a real estate agent to help them sell their old apartment.
common collocation: real estate agent
Ravi works as an insurance agent and visits clients across the city every week.
All payments must be made through our authorised agent in Taipei.
Mateo's father is the local agent for a German car company.
- representative
broader; covers anyone who speaks for another, not only in business deals
- broker
specifically arranges deals between two parties (insurance broker, stockbroker)
- dealer
buys and sells goods on their own account, not on commission
文法句型
agent for + organization/person
agent of + company
用法筆記
Often appears in a fixed compound that names the field — travel agent, estate agent, insurance agent, shipping agent. Distinguish from sense 2, which is restricted to managing artists, writers, and athletes.
常見錯誤
2. a person who finds work, signs contracts, and arranges publishing deals on behal
a person who finds work, signs contracts, and arranges publishing deals on behalf of an entertainer, athlete, or author, usually in return for a percentage of the client's earnings.
The young actress signed with a Hollywood agent two months after her first film.
pattern: sign with + agent
Noa phoned his literary agent to discuss the contract for his new novel.
compound: literary agent
Most professional footballers in Europe rely on an agent to negotiate their salaries.
Her agent takes fifteen percent of every concert fee she earns.
- manager
in music and sport, takes a wider role in shaping the client's career, not just finding work
- representative
neutral and broader; an agent is a specific kind of representative
文法句型
someone's agent
literary/sports agent
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a person in entertainment, publishing, or sport. The word 'agent' alone in this context is enough — speakers do not need to add 'talent' or 'literary' if the context is clear.
常見錯誤
3. a person who collects information in secret for a government, intelligence servi
a person who collects information in secret for a government, intelligence service, or other organisation, often while pretending to be someone else.
During the war, British agents were dropped into France to gather information.
passive: be dropped/sent in
The novel follows a young CIA agent working undercover in Moscow.
compound: CIA/FBI agent
Two enemy agents were arrested at the border with stolen documents.
Hannah always wanted to be a secret agent, just like the heroes in spy films.
The defector confessed that he had been an agent for a foreign government for ten years.
文法句型
secret/undercover agent
agent for + country/agency
用法筆記
Frequently appears in fixed compounds: 'secret agent', 'double agent', 'undercover agent', 'CIA agent', 'FBI agent'. In American English, 'agent' on its own can also mean a federal officer (e.g. 'an FBI agent investigated the case').
常見錯誤
4. a substance, force, or thing that brings about a particular result or change — f
a substance, force, or thing that brings about a particular result or change — for example, a chemical that cleans surfaces, a microbe that causes disease, or a powerful idea that transforms a society.
Bleach is a strong cleaning agent and should never be mixed with other chemicals.
compound: cleaning agent
Scientists identified the virus as the agent responsible for the outbreak in the village.
pattern: agent responsible for + result
Many people believe that education is the most powerful agent of social change.
The factory uses a special drying agent to remove moisture from the packaged food.
Salt has long been used as a preserving agent for meat and fish.
文法句型
a + adjective + agent (cleaning agent, infectious agent)
agent of + change/destruction
用法筆記
Almost always appears with a modifier that names what the substance does: cleaning, drying, bleaching, oxidising, infectious, biological, chemical. The phrase 'agent of change' is a near-fixed metaphor in social and political writing.
常見錯誤
5. a piece of software, usually powered by artificial intelligence, that can carry
a piece of software, usually powered by artificial intelligence, that can carry out tasks on its own — such as searching the web, booking tickets, or making decisions — without a person guiding each step.
The new AI agent can read your emails and book meetings for you automatically.
compound: AI agent
Engineers at the start-up built a software agent that monitors prices on hundreds of websites.
compound: software agent
Many companies now use agents to handle simple customer questions before a human takes over.
The agent learned from each conversation and gradually improved its replies.
文法句型
AI/software agent
agent + verb (decides, performs, books)
用法筆記
Often shortened to just 'agent' in tech writing (e.g. 'an agent that books your travel'). Distinguish from sense 1: a travel agent is a human, while an AI travel agent is a computer program. Context normally makes the difference clear.